Reached Ahmedabad station well in time for the 1545 departure. The train had already
come in from Porbandar. I never got to count the coaches or even check out the loco, which I assume was a WAP4.
We started off on time, and I settled down into my side lower berth. I had seat 23, which had the emergency window
and I kept it open, getting an unobstructed view. That somehow felt a little insecure, a big gaping hole with nothing
in between to prevent things from falling out or someone reaching inside to snatch belongings. The coach was particularly
unclean, and of old stock. The entire train looked rather scruffy. We made good time though. The ride was smooth
all the way to Surat, where I got onto the platform to look for an omlette to satisfy my hunger… unfortunately
none were t be found, so I settled for potato vadas. At the next station Udhna, we branched off to the single line
recently electrified section. We made decent time here too, except for a couple of crossings where we reached first
and were made to wait. Unfortunately that section still worked on the token system and we had to wait for the other
train to pass and then we got our authority to proceed, resulting in quite a delay. I believe work is on to convert
the entire stretch into token-less working.
On the way, I caught a glimpse of the narrow gauge rake parked at Kosamba station. The rake, of the usual brown
livery looked very clean and fresh, and though I couldn't make out in the passing, it seemed to have very large
windows in the DHR style. Either that, or there was a yellow lining on the coach of that size. Made it look very
nice indeed.
I drifted off to sleep, only to be woken up early the next morning, at about 6, to prepare for arrival at Badnera.
The earlier plan was that Zubin would meet me at Badnera station and we would wait for the next train and make
our way to Nagpur. That changed at the last moment and it was decided we would take this same train, hence the
need for me to head towards the front of the train. Badnera arrival was scheduled for 0655 hours and we were at
the outer 165 minutes early, and made to wait ten minutes, till we got the line clear to saunter in gracefully.
I gout out of the S1 coach and saw Zubin waiting at the loco. After quick introductions, we entered the cab.
My first WAP-4 footplate. The loco was a Santragachi based one, in the old Rajdhani livery. Not a very clean looking
one either. The next three hours or so to Nagpur was fast running, often at a steady 105 km/h. there were slight
gradients and many gentle curves. It was a cool morning, and a few trains crossed us, notably the Gitanjali with
a red liveried P-4. Now of course a loco is never as comfortable and well sprung as a passenger coach, and the
jerks and shakes are more pronounced as one stands in the cab. I was busy with my camera and watched the driver
keep up a good pace, pretty impressed by his expertise. We maintained time throughout and made it to Nagpur on
time at 0950, in spite of a couple of caution orders that caused us to slow down. Now the good thing about riding
an electric loco is one gets a far better view of the line ahead than in a diesel, thanks to the large and full
frontal windows. This particular loco, being an older one as stated, did not have the newer more comfortable driving
seats and a better instrument cluster as the newer ones, yet it was spacious and open, a change from the metre
gauge diesel we had just experienced a few days previously. The vertical bars on the windscreen, though, do mar
the forward vision to a good extent.
A curious thing I noticed was that while most of even the old diesel locos on the narrow gauge have digital speedometers,
the older broad gauge electrics still have the analog ones. Of course they are fitted with speed recorders. The
maximum is set at 130 km/h, market with a red dash, and there is an over-speed indicator that would go off if this
was exceeded.
I was met by Alok at Nagpur station and he found me a decent hotel to stay at, and then he played a perfect host. |
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Cab view of a passing station.
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Our early morning entry into Badnera station.
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The electric loco trip shed at Ahmedabad
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View from the side window while the WAP-4 makes
good speed on the route from Badnera to Nagpur.
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The WAP-4's speedo with recorder. Note we are doing 110 km/h.
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Cab window view of permanent way work in progress, necessiating in caution orders
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A station crossed on the way.
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